Comparison of snow pressure measurements and theoretical predictions

Measurements of snow pressures from the centre section of a 3.4 m high and 15 m long avalanche-defence supporting structure located on a mountain in western Norway are presented. The site has a deep snow cover and an average slope angle of 250. The measurement configuration corresponds to plane-stra...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:NGI-rapport 1985
Main Author: McClung, David Michael
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Avalanche-RnD
Defence Structure
Finite Element Method
Snow Pressure Measurement
Snowcreep Pressure
Snøskred-FoU
Viscosity
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Summary:Measurements of snow pressures from the centre section of a 3.4 m high and 15 m long avalanche-defence supporting structure located on a mountain in western Norway are presented. The site has a deep snow cover and an average slope angle of 250. The measurement configuration corresponds to plane-strain conditions and the data, along with measured snowpack parameters, allow comparision with simple theoretical predictions. The analysis shows that the average pressure on the structure may be calculated fairly accurately using linear, viscous modelling for the snow deformation. The maximum pressure proved to be higher than that provided by a linear model and this is considered characteristic of nonlinear material. The implications of these results for estimates of design loads are discussed.